PSV EindhovenwereUnited’s next opponents in the UEFA Cup and they
returned from Holland with a
goal-less draw which could so easily have been a substantial lead. They outplayed
the Dutch champions, as the team clicked for the first time in a long time. Bad
boys Alan Smith, Danny Mills and Lee Bowyer were back with Gary Kelly and David
Batty on the bench and Robbie Fowler ineligible. Mark Viduka,
Harry Kewell and Alan Smith all came close to a
winner while at the other end Nigel Martyn pulled off
some fine saves.

The UEFA
Cup may never have been a priority to United boss David O'Leary, but the clash
with PSV was just the tonic his faltering side had been craving. The performance
was much more like what was required from David O'Leary's boys. After two
months of under-achieving they finally cranked up a gear and showed that news
of their demise was a little premature with a display which, quite frankly,
scared the Dutch champions into submission. The Dutch Champions, who had lost
only one of their previous thirty-six League games at home, were, in the final
analysis, fortunate not to allow David O’Leary’s to go back to Yorkshire with a victory.

After an initial
uneasy opening, United settled into a pattern and gave the performance that
finally went some way to matching what everyone knew they were capable of. In
truth, they were still a long way short of the heights hit during the previous
year's terrific Champions League run, but if they were to rub shoulders once
again with the likes of Real, Barcelona and Roma, then it would be
performances like this which would get them there.

The fact
that it took the razzmatazz of a big European night to finally pull the Whites
out of their slumber is possibly no surprise. O'Leary's boys have always
enjoyed the big occasion. Gone was the uneasy, tentative football which had
plagued 2002 and all-but destroyed their chances of a top four finish. In its
place, slowly evolving as the game progressed was a team re-building its
confidence and standing up to its critics and shouting its intentions for
another fling. While the UEFA Cup was important and was most certainly there to
be won, it was the effect that the result and display would have on the league
form which took paramount importance. If it could herald another brilliant run
over the final dozen league matches then maybe that impossible dream of the
Champions League wouldn't turn out to be that impossible after all.

O'Leary had
recalled the bad-boy trio of Alan Smith, Lee Bowyer and Danny Mills as he
dropped both David Batty and Gary Kelly to the bench. David Batty, who had travelled to Holland on his own by ferry after refusing
to fly, was replaced in the middle by EirikBakke with Lee Bowyer back on the right. Alan Smith was
reunited with Mark Viduka in attack with Robbie
Fowler ineligible after having played Champions League football earlier with Liverpool. The first half was a lively affair
with both sides creating good chances to break the deadlock. Within the first
minute Mark Viduka's low cross from the left was teed
up for Alan Smith by Lee Bowyer but the young striker was crowded out by the
PSV defence.

The
atmosphere within the Philips Stadium was more akin to the Champions League
experiences of the previous season and everyone was buzzing. Home fans,
especially, were baying for early blood, and had it not been for the wonderful
goalkeeping of Nigel Martyn, pulling off two quality
saves within the space of a minute, then PSV would have taken the lead. The
highly-rated Marc Van Bommel was first to be denied
as his fierce drive from the right angle of the penalty box was brilliantly
tipped away by the England number one. When the corner was
flung over, Leeds were unable to clear and as Marc Van Bommel
volleyed the ball back in from the edge of the box it was directed goal-ward by
the deft flick header of Andre Ooijer and again Nigel
Martyn arched back to make a wonderful save.

PSV's
strong start continued and they should have scored on the quarter hour mark
when Arnold Bruggink directed a free header wide. But
their failure to break the deadlock early on gave United the chance to settle
down and organise themselves into a unit which from
then on never looked like letting in a goal. At the other end Leeds did start to look lively with Alan
Smith and Mark Viduka linking well to cause the home defence problems. Indeed, the Aussie came close to giving
United the lead when he saw two headers cleared off the line within the space
of a minute. His first chance, from an Ian Harte
free-kick, seemed destined to loop in at the far post until Andre Ooijer stood tall to deflect it away under pressure from
Alan Smith. The second chance was even closer for United as Mark Viduka's neat interchange of passing with Alan Smith sent
the young striker away and as PatrikLodewijks blocked the original shot Mark Viduka followed up to nod the ball goal-wards only to see
Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink
scything away a miraculous clearance from under his own bar.

Just before
the half hour Leeds too found themselves
forced into some desperate defending. Pacy winger
Dennis Rommedahl swung a teasing ball over from the
right, Nigel Martyn's weak punch fell to George Gakhokidze but his powerful goal-bound strike was blocked
on the line by Dominic Matteo. United were relieved
that Dominic Matteo escaped punishment after
appearing to handle the ball in his own area just before half-time. That was it
for the home side, however.

United then
completely bossed the second half. It seemed that PSV had realised
just how good Leeds really were and lost their bottle
for the battle. Harry Kewell's low, fizzing shot from
the left edge of the area was blocked at his near post by PatrikLodewijks and only a last ditch tackle from Andre Ooijer denied Mark Viduka a clear
view of goal just past the hour. Mark Viduka again
missed out two minutes later as he put a free header wide from Ian Harte's corner and then Lee Bowyer crashed a low shot
across goal. Ian Harte also went close with a
twenty-five yard free-kick. Leeds kept driving forward and Alan Smith almost
broke the deadlock.

Marc Van Bommel did see one volley fly just too high, but Nigel Martyn had little to do in the second half and the home
fans streamed out of the ground with a joyous rendition of the United anthem Marching On Together ringing in their ears.
The only downside for Leeds
was that they had failed to score an away goal and might not be able to go on
all-out attack at Elland Road against a PSV side containing
several lightning-quick players, notably Danish right-winger Dennis Rommedahl.

A pleased
David O’Leary said, “The team I put out was one I’ve been wanting to field for
a while, and it’s been a long time since I have been able to do that.”

Match Action:

Lee
Bowyer beats Andre Ooijer and GeorgiGakhokidze to the ball but shoots wide of PatrikLodewijks

Olivier Dacourt beats ArnoldBruggink
and Johann Vogel

Lee
Bowyer gets in a header on goal

Mark Viduka turns away in despair after seeing his header
cleared off the lineMark Viduka duels with Wilfred Bouma for a high ball